Under the Strategic Infrastructure for Enhanced Animal Tracking project (STRAITS), one of the challenges is to acoustically monitor the Gibraltar Strait, which serves as a biodiversity hotspot and a crucial location for tracking many large migratory species. This natural gateway will be sealed acoustically through the deployment of a comprehensive array, overcoming the challenges posed by intense anthropogenic activities (e.g., traffic and fishing) and oceanographic conditions (e.g., strong currents, thermoclines, and pycnoclines). Furthermore, this project has tagged several species in this iconic area: meagre (Argyrosomus regius), the invasive blue crab (Callinectes sapidus), giant guitarfish (Glaucostegus cemiculus), the butterfly rayfish, the sunfish (Mola mola) and the Atlantic blue fin tuna.
The Strait of Gibraltar is situated between the southern part of the Iberian Peninsula (Spain) and the northern part of Morocco, serving as the gateway between the Atlantic and the Mediterranean Sea. Europe and Africa are separated by a mere 14.3 km at the narrowest point of the Gibraltar Strait. The depth ranges from 300 to 900 meters, making it one of the most significant natural passages in the world for marine biodiversity migrations and the transition of marine species. Additionally, it is a highly complex area due to the intense anthropogenic activities such as marine traffic and fishing, as well as challenging oceanographic conditions, including pycnoclines, thermoclines, and strong tidal currents.
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